The 2017 BMW 5 Series had its world premiere less than a week ago in Detroit, and already it has picked up its first Car Of The Year award as the best new car of the last twelve months. As a new BMW model—especially since it's a 5 Series—the car will eventually garner its share of awards, but this is still pretty quick.
An example of BMW's mid-size luxury sedan actually received two 2017 Car of the Year awards from the U.K.'s WhatCar? magazine and web site: first as the WhatCar? 2017 Luxury Car of the Year and then as the overall WhatCar? 2017 Car of the Year. The specific 5 Series model that received the awards was the 2017 BMW 520d SE, which is an entry-level, diesel-powered BMW not available in the U.S. and is perhaps the most popular 5 Series in the U.K., being on the lower end of the 5 Series price spectrum and a very economical diesel to boot. The WhatCar? judging panel cited the 5 Series for is efficiency, handling, refinement, technology, and sense of luxury. Yep; sounds about right for a 5 Series.
In case you haven't heard of it, WhatCar? is a sister publication to the venerable Autocar magazine that was first published in 1895 and bills itself as the world's oldest car publication.
BMW Brand senior vice-president Hildegard Wortmann was understandably proud when she accepted the Car of the Year award at a London ceremony, saying, “For the BMW 5 Series to win the prestigious ‘Car of the Year’ award is an honor and testament to the hard work that goes into producing one of BMW’s core models. The BMW 5 Series is a brand-shaping saloon and in times of rapid change within the automotive industry we believe the seventh generation model points the way into the future. It is a truly outstanding car and I am very grateful to What Car? for this great recognition.”
What Car? editor Steve Huntingford was not surprised that the new 5 Series made the list. He explained, “The BMW 5 Series is no stranger to success at the What Car? Awards; it’s something of a dynasty that has always stood for excellence, but the latest model moves things on again in all the areas that matter most to buyers.”
To take the Luxury Car of the Year title, the BMW not only had to be chosen over its usual competition—Mercedes-Benz—but also an in-house challenge from another BMW Group brand—Rolls-Royce. When a British magazine picks a German brand over an English one, that's news by itself; but then again, the Rolls is at a slight disadvantage in the "economical" area.
The BMW 520d is powered by a two-liter, inline four-cylinder diesel engine with a choice of six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed Steptronic transmission. xDrive versions get the Steptronic only, Power from the little diesel is a very respectable 190 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Zero to 62 miles per hour times run around 7.7 seconds, but the real attraction is the 56 to 58 miles per gallon the car achieves depending on the transmission and sDrive versus xDrive. Yes, it's nice to have the power of a 540i or even an M550i here in the U.S., but it would also be nice to cruise in a 5 Series and not have to worry about refueling for 800 miles—or more.
After taking the Luxury Car category, the new 5 Series then had to fend off a lengthy list of really good cars to win the overall title. These included the Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0, the Honda Civic Type R, and a gaggle of Audis.
The full list of category winners is below and to read thier take on the all-new 5 Series, head to www.whatcar.com/awards.
There is a good chance that the WhatCar? award is just the froth on the leading edge of the recognition wave that the G30 5 Series Sedan will ride for the rest of this year. To those for whom the name BMW means luxury, handling, comfort, and technology in a mid-range car that serves families, executives, and enthusiasts equally well, the 5 Series is the car they think of. New 5 Series Sedans will begin to show up at U.S. dealers next month. Not the 520d SE, sadly, but the 530i and 540i variants and then later in the spring, the 530e iPerformance and the M550i xDrive.—Scott Blazey
[Photos courtesy of BMW AG.]
What Car? Car of the Year Award category winners:
City car Hyundai i10 1.2 Premium SE
Small car Skoda Fabia 1.2 TSI 90 SE
Family car Audi A3 Sportback 1.4 TFSI 150 Sport
Hot hatch Ford Fiesta ST-2 3dr
Small SUV Seat Ateca 1.4 EcoTSI 150 SE
Large SUV Skoda Kodiaq 2.0 TDI 150 4x4 SE 7st
Luxury SUV Audi Q7 3.0 TDI 272 quattro SE
MPV Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI 115 SE
Estate car Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 150 SE Technology
Electric car Renault Zoe Q90 Z.E. 40 Dynamique Nav
Executive car Audi A4 3.0 TDI 218 Sport
Luxury car BMW 5 Series 520d SE
Convertible Mazda MX-5 2.0 SE-L Nav
Coupe Audi TT 1.8 TFSI Sport
Sports car Porsche 718 Cayman 2.0
Reader award Honda Civic Type R
Safety award Toyota Prius
Technology award Peugeot 3008 i-Cockpit
and
Car of the Year BMW 5 Series 520d SE
